Family Ties
by KiahTrickster
Summary: Sequel to Bonds of Blood. As a family finds a new balance in life after the upheaval of serious illness they face new opportunities and challenges together. This is a Jisa story.
1. Chapter 1

This story follows Bonds of Blood, some aspects of this story will not make much sense without the first part.

Disclaimer: I write for fun,no copyright infringement intended.

 **Family Ties- Chapter One**

Georgie hurried after Lisa, helmet tucked under her arm as they headed down to Fairfield's stalls. Dad had finally convinced Lou to let her start working at the track, Lisa kept it limited as she had a lot to do at the barn. They were easing into it, she knew Lisa didn't really need another jockey but was willing to let her try.

Georgie knew her focus had to be Diamond and the young horses she exercised, but today she was helping with a sale. Lisa stopped, greeting the client who wanted to see Fairfield's Double or Nothing go against his own young hotshot. There was supposed to be another horse running too, but Lisa was the only one standing with the client.

Georgie warmed Dubs up and guided the young horse towards the gates. The other jockey took his place but no one else showed as the two owners spoke by the fence. She knew that Lisa had already given the man Dubs' paperwork, Georgie had seen that process a few times now.

"Are we waiting for Dan?" Lisa asked, glancing towards the stalls.

"No. I won't be going that route." The man shook his head and there was something about his tone that made her frown; he sounded disgusted with the question. Lisa looked slightly concerned. Georgie guided the horse into the gate and took a steadying breath; waiting for the start.

"Ready for this?" The other jockey asked.

"I guess." She was new, but experience was all that she needed.

Dubs was fast, he loved to run, and he didn't mind being ridden; she had helped get him ready for the track this spring. When the gates clanged open the horses sprang forward, and they flew down the track. Around one corner, Dubs edged ahead, giving it all he had, he was green; but he had potential.

Racing for the finish Georgie leaned into his neck, she knew they were ahead but didn't dare to glance back and see how far. They crossed the line and Dubs eased down, slowing him down before coming around to cool him out.

Dubs had won, and that had been what the client wanted to see, hopefully that meant the sale would go through. As she brushed the horse Lisa came to lean on the side of the stall. "So, did he buy Dubs?"

"Yes, he did." Lisa confirmed, holding the gate so she could step out of the stall; Lisa didn't look happy. "I need to make a stop before we head home."

Georgie nodded, figuring they would head for Fairfield, but they pulled in at Brookland instead. Lisa didn't say anything as she got out of the truck and headed for the office. The yard was quiet, and Georgie got out, slipping into the barn she paused; Dan and Lisa stood in the foyer.

"What did you intend to do with them?" Lisa's voice rose, and Georgie eased back, feeling a little guilty for eavesdropping. The man shrugged, and she saw Lisa rub her brow, looking annoyed. "Let me see them."

"Lisa I'll get rid of them." Dan Hartfield reached out to touch her arm and Lisa turned away, heading down towards the stalls; Georgie followed a few steps behind Dan.

They went back through the stalls of sleek thoroughbreds and out to the back field; a foal skittered away from the fence as they approached. It bumped into a stocky bay and watched them from the safety of the mare's side. A second mare watched them curiously over a mouthful of grass.

"It was a stupid plan from the start, Summer just had to rescue them, nothing but a money pit." Dan muttered as they eyed the horses. "One of the idiots put a stud back here…"

…

She only glared at her ex husband, she knew exactly what he meant when he said he intended to get rid of them. It wasn't a mistake, it was pure carelessness in a breeding operation, but not enough to tank a sale. Dan had only taken in the rescues to impress his latest ditz, he'd moved on to richer and dumber after Val didn't pan out.

"The one was pregnant when she got here, the other is now." Dan admitted. "Summer had her heart set on…"

"Right." Lisa did not want to hear about his girlfriend, she didn't want to get involved at all; but Ian Resnic's reaction had tipped her to the fact that something was off.

The young colt had decided to give them a second chance and came closer to sniff at Georgie, a solid little foal. Both mares were solidly built and eyed them quietly, but they were certainly not Dan's type of horse. What stupid stunt had Dan already tried to offload the horses?

It weighed on her mind as she drove home, Georgie headed straight for the barn and Lisa walked up to the house. Lou had taken Katie up to a get together with some other kids and families she had met at the hospital; everyone would be home soon, and they would be hungry.

By the time Jack got home dinner was in the oven and she had Lyndy on her hip; the toddler was fussy, and her parents needed to get caught up on paperwork. Her husband pressed a kiss to her temple before crossing to wash up, he looked tired and stiff.

But he came back to the kitchen and shifted Lyndy into his arms. "How did your sale go?"

"It was straight forward thanks to Dan." With her hands free she started a salad, she saw him tense up; it didn't take much when it came to Dan and Jack. "He bungled his side of it, and he has a new girlfriend."

"Lis." Jack sighed.

"Summer rescued a couple of horses, one was pregnant; the other is now. And somehow at least one of Dan's clients found out." She still wasn't exactly sure how that worked. "He didn't waste any time when Val…"

"Lisa." Her husband cut her off, and she nodded; he did not want to hear about her ex.

"Fine." She paused as Katie came in ahead of Lou. "Dinner is almost ready."

"Lisa, Dr. Siddal called for you this morning." Lou dropped her purse and came into the kitchen, lifting the lid on a pot as she frowned; she hadn't heard from the doctor in several months. "She just wants a call back, nothing urgent."

"Okay." The doctor had her cell number, if it had been urgent she would have called that rather than the house. "Did Katie have a good time this afternoon?"

"Well, we found out she won't be the only one going to camp for the first time." Lou murmured, lifting another lid; she sounded worried. "A few of her friends will be going too."

"She's going to have a good time." Lisa said reassuringly, it was Lou who was nervous, Katie was excited to go on an adventure.

Lisa agreed with her husband and Peter, Katie would benefit from spending time with other kids who had been through similar experiences. Back at school and dance, the young girl was with her friends, but they did not understand what she had been through.

At camp Katie would fit in, each child would have their own story, but they would all know of long hospital stays, doctors and tests; many would take daily medications just as Katie did. Lou was planning to spend a few of the days that Katie was away in New York and she had a feeling that would be good for the mother who had put everything on hold to tend her daughter.

She could admit that she was looking forward to everyone taking off for a week, the house would be quiet, and she might be able to steal a few days with her husband. Between the stable, the ranch and the kids everything had been so busy.

It wasn't that they hadn't traveled, but usually it was for competitions with Georgie in the truck; and the teenager had her heart set on learning the horse business. The girl was a quick study but exhausting at times, by sheer will the teen had worn Lou and Peter down until they agreed to let her jockey. As though exercising the horses, training and competing with Diamond wasn't enough Lisa had to find opportunities for her on the track.

The girls chattered throughout dinner and when the dishes were done, she took the glass of wine that Jack offered; letting him nudge her towards the couch. Finding her spot, nestled against his side as the evening wound down.

"When will you call the doctor?" Jack asked, his hand resting on her knee; she knew he would have been thinking about that.

"In the morning. We know it isn't urgent; and we know it isn't Katie." She reassured him, it had been several months since treatment ended, she was fine and so was Katie.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Amy dropped off Lyndy first thing and headed out to the round pen to work with a client's horse while Ty headed to the clinic; he took the toddler into the living room to play as Georgie pocketed his keys. The teenager had to go to Fairfield today even though Lisa would be working from home. The reality of working had yet to sink in for her, Georgie loved her job and the horses she was working with.

Lisa set up at the dining room table, her own paperwork to handle, and Jack knew he should be heading out to see to his own work. But he wanted to know what Dr. Siddal had to say, he was not naïve to the fact that a part of them would always be tied to the past; their lives today could be very different if not for the results of a simple blood test.

While Lisa was on the phone, he scooped Lyndy up and eased closer to listen. His back stiffened as she opened her day planner, flipping the pages quickly. "I can do next Tuesday."

Jack frowned as his wife wrote down a time, still listening to the woman on the other end. Lyndy bounced on his hip, eager to be free to play again; or launch herself to Lisa. His wife reached out to catch Lyndy's hand before it tangled in her hair, maybe he was hovering a little too close.

"Lisa?" He questioned as she set the phone aside; reaching for Lyndy. The toddler happily scooped up Lisa's phone, tapping at the screen as Lisa tried to open one of the little games that she'd put on there for the kids.

"Follow up." She said quickly. "I just need to get some bloodwork done ahead of the appointment."

"Why? Is something wrong?" This was supposed to be over, she had gone through more than enough last winter.

"Nothing is wrong. They've found something in the bloodwork of some other people who took one of the immune boosters I did." She explained over the music of Lyndy's game. "Come to the appointment and we will both find out more."

He nodded, he wouldn't miss it, and it wasn't a bad thing that Katie and Lou would be away. Lou still had a tendency to hover which irritated his wife while their great granddaughter was very aware of the fact that Lisa had been her match.

"Then let's go to town and get the bloodwork done." He'd let her dodge his grand daughter, and he agreed that Katie only needed to know so much; but Lisa had a bad habit of pulling back when things got hard. She'd learned that the hard way and while she was getting better if she had too much space the habit would resurface.

And right now, she would be working through all the possibilities in her mind the same way he was; finding something to worry about. He wouldn't leave her to do it alone, Lyndy's car seat was already in her vehicle and she passed over the keys out of reflex. They'd made more than enough trips to the clinic for bloodwork, and up to the hospital for tests; the technician had Dr. Siddal listed as the contact doctor for Lisa.

"Since we're out we could make a few stops. Lyndy needs new sandals, these are starting to pinch." Lisa headed down the street rather than back to the vehicle; stooped slightly to keep her hand in Lyndy's.

"Amy and Ty can take care of that." Jack argued, knowing he'd already lost; she spoiled the kids constantly.

"When? Amy has clients coming out her ears and when Ty isn't at the clinic he is trying to keep up on the medical intake for her clients." Lisa turned into one of the brightly colored shops full of kids' clothes. "And this little one just keeps growing."

They wouldn't walk out with just a pair of sandals, Lisa couldn't do it; he doubted if she had any intention of even trying to. But he knew it was a distraction for her, and today she needed it; he followed them through the little store and smiled as Lyndy tried on a few things. The little girl already had strong opinions, if it wasn't pink it wasn't happening; and a little t shirt with a horse on it was as good as hers.

"Ice-cream!" Lyndy declared as they left the store, he carried the bag with their purchases in it.

"At home sweetie." Lisa told her, they shared a glance; maybe after a nap.

Now they headed back towards the truck, and as Lisa got Lyndy into her car seat he went around to tuck the bag in the other side. A comment from the sidewalk caught his attention. "Oh, is that Lisa? We should say hi."

"Summer, I don't…" Jack hid his sigh, he knew that voice; it usually grated on his nerves.

"She may have some ideas on who would want to buy Mika, Star and Falcon." Jack turned as a young blond dragged Dan Hartfield towards the truck. "You haven't had any luck."

This wasn't going to go well, he didn't need to see his wife's reaction; she'd heard about Summer but had yet to meet her. And Jack could admit it was slightly unnerving to see her ex-husband with a younger woman who looked a little too much like his wife.

And he knew by her face she was caught off guard as Summer yapped about rescuing horses; she clearly did not understand the horse business. Lisa's smile was forced, and he could see the tension in her shoulders; she said very little. Jack gave Dan a hard look as he rested a hand on his wife's back; the man couldn't show off his prize when she was asking Lisa for help.

It was Lyndy, who started crying, unhappy to be trapped in her booster seat that gave them an excuse; Lisa grabbed it. "We better get her home, she's overdue for a nap."

"Oh, is that your granddaughter?" Summer tried to crane around the open door to see Lyndy. "Awe, she's so cute."

"She's our great grand daughter." Lisa shut the door and reached to open hers, ignoring the look that Summer gave her; glancing between them. "We need to get her home."

He took the hint and nodded to the pair before rounding to the driver's side; Lisa was quiet as they drove home. And it wasn't because Lyndy was in the back seat, the toddler was asleep before they got out of town. When they got home Lyndy was settled in her playpen to finish her nap and his wife went for her lap top; Jack rested his hands on her shoulders and turned her towards the porch.

He didn't want to talk about her ex husband, or his girlfriend, but Jack could admit that he saw why she might be upset. Lisa was used to seeing Dan with younger women, however this one wanted to pick her brain; and looked a lot like her.

"She doesn't know anything about horses, she doesn't know anything about Dan." Lisa started as he rubbed her shoulders, looking out towards the round pen. "He doesn't rescue horses, he doesn't keep them unless he can make money off of them; and he doesn't have clients who are going to want them."

"One has just foaled?" He was just fine if her mind was on the horses now, he knew it wouldn't stay there.

"And the other will next year, who knows what their story is." Lisa sighed. "Somehow, I doubt Summer is going to be of any help to them…"

They fell silent as Lou's vehicle pulled up, Katie bounced out and came racing up to show them what she had got for camp. After they had been shown everything Lou managed to nudge Katie into the house to start packing; Katie left for camp on Sunday. Lou headed for New York the day after.

…

Dan couldn't simply go to France and stay there, that would be simple; and he would need reliable funding that he could never seem to scrape together. The man could pick race horses, he came from money and had solid investments; however, he was always working on some scheme. It had taken her a few years of marriage to realize that, and longer to get clear of it.

After that she'd learned to ignore the women he dated, except for Val Stanton they all were considerably younger than her; more so as time went on. But usually she could escape easily enough, Dan liked to show them off, but they lived in different circles and family kept her busy. Summer was different but was naïve to the man she was with, and how Lisa felt about her ex husband; she didn't want to be friends with her ex's girlfriend.

Their lives and their businesses were separate now, Lisa had worked hard to do that, and it had made things tight for awhile. She didn't want advice on how to run her operation anymore than she wanted to give advice to Dan on his; rescues included. Lisa still knew the man and she wasn't sure Summer was prepared for what he might do if he got sick of the rescues, or just how important breeding and papers were to the man.

Lisa tried to put it aside to focus on her own work, yesterday's sale had been good; however, she had several others in progress. And one client in France, she knew she would not be able to ask the woman to come over here; the woman was considering two horses.

It was a sale she should handle herself, and it would be worth the cost to ship the horses; likely she would be able to offload the other in the same trip. Lisa wasn't as keen as she usually was at the idea of travelling, she could come up with a handful of excuses easily.

"Lisa." Jack called her name, holding a squirming toddler out to her; he probably wanted to head for the barn.

"I've got her." She eased back to tuck Lyndy into her lap as he crossed for the door.

The other aspect of Amy being so busy was the number of stalls that needed to be tended, both the four in the barn, the outdoor stalls and the water troughs in the fields. Jack was rigid in his habits when it came to the ranch work, especially water this time of year.

Lyndy had no interest in sitting while she did paperwork, so Lisa took her outside too. The followed Jack around on some of his chores until Lyndy set eyes on Spartan; Amy's horse was closely bonded with his owner's daughter. Exceptionally tolerant the horse stood perfectly still as Lyndy reached up to pet his belly, the horse dipped his head to lip the little girl's hair.

Monty came over, also a fan of the toddler and Lyndy promptly tried pull herself up onto his back. Lisa stayed very close and boosted Lyndy onto the pony's back, one hand on the toddler's back and the other on the halter. Lyndy already knew not to pull or kick at the horse, Amy regularly lifted her daughter up in front of her on Spartan's back; the toddler would be able to ride on her own in no time.

Monty shook off her hand and dipped his head to graze, ambling slowly as he ate; Lisa held onto Lyndy, but the toddler was content to stay on his back. Spartan didn't go far either, grazing near Monty and watching over his friend.

"Are you having fun?" Amy laughed as she came out to join them; Lyndy nodded happily. "Is Monty being good?"

"Yes. Spartan?" Lyndy asked hopefully.

"We need to brush him first." Amy cautioned, moving in to take her place, hands on Lyndy's sides. "Thanks for watching her."

"No problem, we've had a good day." Lisa smiled, leaving them with the horses; the little girl seemed to love them just as much as her mother.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Georgie paused on the stairs, Jack and Lisa were talking quietly about Dan's rescue horses in the kitchen. Lisa wasn't impressed that the other mare was pregnant now, she had been hoping Lisa might take the rescues and get Amy to help rehome them. But Amy was really busy right now, that was why Lisa and Jack were watching Lyndy so much; and it wasn't what they were talking about.

She headed down and slipped down the hall to find her sister; Mom had taken her shopping today. The suitcase lay open in the middle of the bedroom and Katie sat on the end of the bed. Georgie paused, Katie left for camp on Sunday, Mom was worried, but it was a big deal for her sister.

"You're going to have so much fun." But right now, Katie looked worried.

"What if I don't like it? I'll only know two other people." Katie whispered as Georgie sat beside her.

"Lots of other kids won't know anybody." Katie had been so bouncy and excited about this, but she was going to be leaving home for a whole week. The last time she had been away had been her hospital stay.

"Mom and Dad will be away."

"But I'll be here, and so will GG, Lisa, Amy and Ty. If you really don't like it, we will come and get you." She promised. "You will have a great time, and it will go really fast."

Katie nodded, leaning into her side for a hug. Georgie held her tight for a moment, Katie would have a lot of fun at camp and for one week she would have something in common with every other kid in that camp.

"Do you want to take a trail ride with me and Phoenix?" She had been at Fairfield all day and needed to spend some time with her own horse and Katie just needed a distraction right now.

"Okay."

She had spent most of the day working with Diamond and Mike for some of the upcoming competitions, but she was also working with a few other thoroughbreds that seemed to like jumping. She knew all of the horses were up for sale, but she was privately hoping that Lisa wouldn't sell Diamond too soon.

…

Peter had come home last night, and this morning Katie headed to camp; her parents and sister would take her up. Jack held Katie tightly for a moment to say goodbye before letting her go to Lisa, then Lyndy and Amy.

He knew she would have fun, and tomorrow her parents would be heading off for their own projects. The quiet week he knew his wife had been hoping for had shifted, Jack knew they were both thinking about the upcoming doctor's appointment; Lisa hadn't said anything about it to Lou.

Right now, he followed his wife back up to the house and poured them both a fresh cup of coffee; today could be quiet. They weren't babysitting, chores were done, and Lisa's paperwork would wait; it was a good morning to sit on the porch. For a time, Lisa leaned into his side, they would likely have Lyndy at least part of next week, they had to do a bit of their own scheduling as he had cattle to tend and she had her own work.

"I do need to make a trip to France in the next few weeks, it doesn't need to be a long one." She sighed, and he nodded; waiting for her to tell him a little more. "I'd like to see where Dr. Siddal is heading but it could be a really good deal."

"When are you thinking of going?" Jack prompted, he knew she had been thinking about it for a while if she was talking about it. She might be focusing on deals closer to home, but he knew she had a solid client base in France.

"End of the month, probably just for a week. I need to ship two horses, one will sell but both are proven on the track. I've actually had Georgie jumping Wind, they've been doing really well; jumps racing is a good option for him." Lisa told him, sipping her coffee; Jack hid a smile, she would try to sell both horses. Georgie was hoping to do more than jump Northern Wind, her heart was still set on the track.

They had spent quite a bit of time at the track, Georgie was learning more than how to jockey and Lisa had a number of horses running for Fairfield. The importance of documentation and connections in making a sale, how to handle and train the excitable young thoroughbreds to race.

For Monday's races he went with Lisa and Georgie to the track, as Lou and Peter headed back to work. He had ridden out in the morning to check the cattle and hurried back to clean up. As Georgie helped groom the horse he walked with his wife through the grounds. A client slid in beside them when they found a spot on the fence; two Fairfield born horses would race for different owners today.

Jack rested a hand on her back as she chatted to the couple on the other side of them, waiting for the race to start. His wife was here to work just as much as she was to enjoy the race and when Georgie joined them, he noticed her watching and taking her cue from Lisa; between Lisa and Amy the teenager would have a good start before her program ever began.

He also noticed Dan and Summer further up in the box, it was no surprise Brookland had a horse in today; he wasn't the only one who noticed. But when the horses came to the gates the mood in the stands changed and tension rose as the race became the focus.

Fairfield's horse went all out but it wasn't quite enough to win, the filly placed, she was in the money; but the young colt Lisa had sold won it. Lisa turned into his side for a quick hug, he knew she would have wanted the win; but there was a benefit in the colt's victory.

…

Georgie slipped quickly between the stalls, Jack and Lisa would be heading for the truck; she had slipped down to see Dubs. The horse had done really well today in his first race for his new owner; the man let her go down to see him for a moment.

"I'll offload them soon enough." A man laughed. "Summer is planning a little trip, I'll arrange for a dealer to pick them up before they cost me anything else."

Another man spoke, but Georgie hesitated; she knew Dan was talking about the rescue horses. It wasn't fair to them to end up with Dan Hartfield when he didn't even want them; he should be trying to rehome them not sell them.

"How much are you asking for them?" She had a little saved after paying for her first year of school, from working at Fairfield and winning competitions. She wondered if it would be enough, for the mares and little colt it would be; but the expected foal had a valuable sire.

"Well, they are rescues however there have also been expenses…" Dan said considering her for a moment before he stopped.

"It's time to go." Georgie jumped as a hand closed on her shoulder, she looked up at Jack; he didn't look impressed. And he guided her away before Dan even named a price.

"I might have had enough." She sighed as she climbed into the back seat.

"What?" Lisa turned to her.

"Summer's rescues." Jack muttered. "And don't try brokering a deal with him again."

"He's going to sell them the first chance he gets, cheaply if he can." Georgie argued, they might be able to use them for the dude ranch or rehome them.

"And you have school to pay for, a few years of it." Jack gave her a stern look before shifting the truck into drive. "Don't do something stupid now."

"Jack!" Lisa's voice was sharp, and Georgie winced. "Let's talk about this later."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Let's take a walk." Lisa urged her husband. She knew that if the house was empty there was a good possibility Georgie would listen in on them.

"Her heart is in the right place, but Dan will jerk her around…" Jack started.

"I know that." Lisa stopped him. "I know exactly how Dan works, and I know how Georgie thinks. She wants to save those horses."

They wandered up on a trail away from the house, Lisa knew he was only worried about Georgie. He didn't want to see the teenager taken advantage of in a bad deal or stuck with them. But the horses looked healthy and Georgie knew a few things about sales. At some point she had to make her first.

"You or I could buy them for a fair price." Jack sighed, she knew he had reached the same fact she had; they were going to end up with those horses.

"If Georgie wants them, she needs a plan." Lisa knew he wouldn't like the idea, but Georgie had to start somewhere. "Let me work on it."

"Lis…" Jack sighed, she'd heard that tone in his voice before.

"Let me work on it." She repeated.

Her dad had started letting her make deals when she was a couple years younger than Georgie; she hadn't always made the right ones. But she had learned more from those experiences than standing beside him at sales and auctions, it was one thing to watch and another to have her own investment.

Georgie was an excellent rider and was learning to train, but she had yet to take on her own horses; it was time to push her a little. Lisa had no intention of leaving the teen to fend for herself, but in the world Georgie was getting into she had to figure out when to spend money, and when to hold out. Horses were an expensive investment whether they were sport horses trained to compete on the highest level or pleasure horses kept in someone's back field.

…

He glanced as his wife as country music rolled through the radio, they were heading up to the hospital; Dr. Siddal wanted to see Lisa again. He was more than a little apprehensive about what the doctor might want, but Lisa was quiet.

Georgie had brought up the rescue horses again this morning and he hadn't bit his tongue quick enough; he didn't like that his words had upset his wife or made the teenager doubt herself. And he knew she was a little annoyed, he'd promised to leave it in her hands; but he was more than a little worried about watching Georgie spend most of her savings like this. He had been moved to spend more than he should on a horse on a few occasions, and he knew Lisa had made a few purchases with her heart; but neither of them was looking ahead a several years of school.

Lisa was working intently on her phone as he drove, likely making arrangements for her upcoming trip. Georgie had caught onto that as well, she had been working with the horses Lisa planned to sell; and she wanted to be involved. He was almost hoping that would distract her.

They parked and walked the familiar route up to the doctor's office; he didn't like revisiting this. Dr Siddal did not keep them waiting, he listened as the doctor began to explain what she had learned from the blood test Lisa had done a few days before. Sliding a sheet of paper across for them to read.

"We have seen this anomaly before in bloodwork of patients who have taken some of the medications that you did." Dr. Siddal explained, pointing to a line that had been highlighted all the way across the sheet. "I would just like to see how you are going."

"But I was never sick." Lisa murmured quietly.

"Exactly, the levels in your body seem to be sustained at a higher concentration, but most who take these medications also end up with bone marrow transplants and immunosuppressants." The woman explained but Jack tensed up; Lisa could be a healthy lab rat.

"What would cause it?"

"The delivery method and the properties of the specific medications you were taking. It will not be a permanent thing; the levels will gradually drop off unless you were to restart the treatment." The doctor spoke and Jack reached over to slide his hand into his wife's; she was listening intently as the woman continued.

The medication they were focused on was important, it could be used to support a weak immune system and had applications for more than Katie's condition. The doctor had other patients who had taken the medications, others in the situation Katie had been; to young for treatment.

Lisa signed a consent form so that the doctor could use her test results and records in another branch of the research she was doing. The doctors were looking into alternative delivery methods, such as the arrangement between Lisa and Katie this winter. It was new, and the risks had to be weighed against the rewards, the effectiveness fully explored; Dr. Siddal was looking into the donor's side of it.

He didn't miss the subtle questions; the woman was trying to gauge how Lisa was coping since treatment ended; offering openings for her to start talking. His wife answered the questions but didn't delve into anything; she didn't like to talk to about it. If Katie brought it up Lisa would talk a little but otherwise, they had an unspoken agreement to leave it alone.

"I thought you might come with Lou and Katie to meet the support group some time." Dr. Siddal observed, then paused. "However, I understand that you may not want to share some thoughts with your great grand daughter present."

"I get the comfort I need in seeing Katie at home and whole." Lisa murmured, her grip on his hand tightened for a moment and Jack smiled; perhaps they all enjoyed watching Katie grow just a little more now.

"If you were ever to change your mind, I think there are a lot of people who would like to hear your story. Families waiting for test results, a call from the donor registry, or facing difficult decisions about taking that next step. Your experiences, the good and the bad can give people hope and reassurance, many of them are following research around the world just as closely as Lou did; both hoping for the chance to help their loved one and scared of the risks. It is a safe space for everyone." The doctor spoke softly, and he saw Lisa's eyes drop to her hands; she was thinking about it.

Jack was silent, it might be good for her to talk about it, people there would understand the decisions she had faced but they would appreciate it with the understanding of the price. He sometimes wondered if the reason she didn't talk about it was fear of upsetting them, it was easy to look at the end result and say it was all worth it but there had been moments when it had been hard on her; probably more than she had let any of them see. But those weren't the moments she was asked about and if she was, he suspected she would brush off the question; maybe she would answer if she wasn't looking back at her family.

The doctor came around the desk and reached for Lisa's wrist, now her questions were looking for any other symptoms that might be lingering before rising to see them out. "If you change your mind, we will be a smaller crowd this week."

…

Lisa roamed the living room as she spoke on the phone with a client, arranging transport for a horse heading down south. Crossing to the fridge she eyed the calendar, running some dates before the man on the other end agreed. She had already made arrangements for her own travel at the end of the month, playing with an idea for now as she looked at the various color-coded schedules; Georgie really wanted to come.

Katie and Georgie's activities were coded along with Lou's plans. This week was quiet but for one event, 'Blood Clinic Legion' in Lou's neat hand writing. Originally it had been Georgie's idea, Lou and Peter went with her, sometimes Amy and Ty joined them. Katie went for moral support, the young girl understood that she could not donate; the daily medications she took ensured that.

It made Georgie feel like she could do something, however Lisa had been relieved to be left out. She had needed the break from doctors and needles, but she hadn't considered that she might not have that option. She fully understood why it had become even more important for Georgie, the teen had done her own research and sometimes went with her little sister and mother to the support group, with or without the experimental medication Katie would have required blood transfusions; many did every day.

Her mind circled back to the doctor's question, she didn't have anything to say to a group but the more she thought about it she might have a few questions for Dr. Siddal. But part of her was curious as to what the doctor thought people would want to ask her, and it wouldn't be hard to find out; Lou conveniently noted each meeting for the month.

There was one tomorrow, and Lisa silently took note before she heard Lyndy calling her name. She stepped into the living room to find that the little girl had no intention of waiting for her; up from her nap Lyndy was trying to climb out of the playpen.

She crossed the room in two strides to lean onto the contraption before the toddler managed to tip it again, lifting Lyndy out to freedom. The little girl immediately headed over to where Remi slept and plopped down next to the dog and stayed there until Amy came up to the house to get her.

"Hey Lisa." She glanced up as Ty followed into the kitchen. "I made it over to Brookland today, the horses are in good shape considering we don't have much of their history; I've got some tests to run and I'll give Georgie the report."

"Thank you." She'd prompted Georgie to ask Ty to go over and look at the horses, not that Dan knew that yet. Her ex husband was eager to get rid of the horses and put a mistake out of his mind.

While Heartland celebrated horses, whatever their past, Brookland had a different approach and Dan liked things fancy. Those horses weren't going to sell for the thousands of dollars Dan preferred to deal in, but with training they could become solid working horses and find good homes; the foals could go in any direction.

She might have tried to start the teenager with one of this year's foals, but Georgie had found her own opportunity and that was worth encouraging; Fairfield would have new foals each year. Georgie was exercising horses and working with the trainers, this opportunity would see her handling a young foal and following one of her own horses through to the birth of another. Lisa would board the horses for free and had already told Ty to bill Fairfield for the vet fees, but she was going to try and keep her involvement in the background.

Lisa kept working for a while after Amy and Ty took their daughter home, Jack came in and crossed to rest his hands on her shoulders; she felt him press his cheek to hers. "We're alone tonight. Georgie is spending the night at Jade's; they want to watch some show."

"Really?" Lisa sat back as his arms slid around her; it wasn't often they got the house to themselves. It was always nice to get away just the two of them, but it was even better to be home alone, and they took full advantage of it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

She woke in the early hours of the morning, before Jack even stirred. Sound asleep he'd draped an arm over her, Lisa shifted to face him, tracing the tips of her fingers along his jaw; he'd be annoyed if he knew what she was thinking about. Well, maybe just about some parts, but Lisa wasn't sure exactly what she wanted to do yet.

However, the more she thought about it the more she needed to explore a few things. Dr. Siddal clearly had a few projects in the works and would know if there were any limitations on what she could do; or if there were things she should be doing. She had loved Katie from the first moment she saw her as a baby, but she felt a different sense of responsibility to the young girl now.

They didn't know what Katie was going to face in her life, but she understood just how lucky they were to be a match; and that she wasn't related to Katie. There were moments when she wished she'd had her own kids, even though she knew that would change the life she had here with Jack; she loved this. Yet there was going to be a day when she couldn't help Katie anymore.

"What is bothering you?" Jack's voice was low and a little gravelly; he was barely awake. But she realized she'd been tracing circles on his chest as her mind wandered; he was usually up and, in the barn, before she was this wide awake.

"That support group is meeting today. I think I am going to go." She eased in for a quick kiss but watched his face, she knew he would want to come; but part of her was hoping he wouldn't offer.

"I think that's a good idea." His arm tightened around her and Lisa curled into his shoulder for a moment; he didn't need to be told she wanted to go on her own.

She left mid morning, Jack followed her out driving Ty's truck; he and Lyndy were going up to check fences along the road. Her husband had been told to take Ty's truck rather than his; Ty tended to be cautious with his daughter.

Lisa turned off their road and headed for the highway, she was none too sure she really wanted to talk to a group of people about what had happened last winter; but she was curious. And curious got her into the building near the hospital, it was a resource center of sorts for families; helping with activities for kids and finding places to stay near the hospital. Arriving early, she lingered in the lobby, mostly it was parents coming in with a kid, or small families.

"Lisa, I'm glad you decided to come." Dr. Siddal stepped up beside her, she shouldn't be surprised to see the doctor, but she was; it must have shown on her face. "I have some patients who come and so do my colleagues, we take turns coming to ensure someone is present if there are any questions we can answer and to try to ensure any discussion on testing or research stays factual."

"Right. I was actually going to come see you after. I just had a few questions." Lisa admitted.

"Of course. If you want, we can go somewhere private; there is still a few minutes before it starts and with the kids we are never really on time." Dr. Siddal gestured to the side.

"I just wondered if there was any way to know how long that medication would stay in my system, and if it meant there were any things I shouldn't be doing?"

"Well, it isn't so much a medication in your system as the sustained effects or properties of it; I could test a sample of bone marrow and see what the levels are there. But other than if you were to take certain antibiotics it should not interfere with your life; and I've contacted your doctor's office to have them put a note in your file. I understand Hudson is small enough to have one clinic and if you were to come here there is a flag in your file to contact me." The woman frowned.

"What if I wanted to donate blood?" She remembered the bone marrow aspiration, both the initial test and the donation; neither had been terrible.

"Is that something you are considering?" Dr. Siddal asked quickly, Lisa didn't respond before she continued. "If it is, I would encourage you to come up here to do it. I know to you a doctor seeing an anomaly in your bloodwork is concerning but I have patients waiting and hoping for those levels to climb..."

Dr. Siddal broke off as people started to filter down the hall, they fell in with them. Lisa had a few things to think about now, she thought she might want that test, but as she found a chair in the room the doctor's words played over in her head. A lot of these parents were young, around Lou's age if not younger and the kids here were young; the kids were watching her, probably curious about a new face.

There was some news, parents and siblings gave updates on their loved ones who were in hospital and the group sobered as a man confirmed that a young boy had died; the child's parents weren't here. Some talked about the progress their child was making or the tests they were facing and slowly they rounded the circle until she was one of the only ones who hadn't said anything.

A little girl who was leaning against a man's knees a few chairs over looked up at her. "Hi, I'm Sadie."

"Hi Sadie, my name is Lisa." She smiled at the girl who was probably a few years younger than Katie.

For a few beats there was an awkward silence, others in the group had spoken about family and friends who weren't there but did they have permission to? Or was it just assumed as everyone knew each other.

"My great grand daughter, Katie, was sick this winter; she was diagnosed with a rare auto…."

"You're her donor!" Sadie exclaimed, and she felt attention snap onto her as others made the same connection.

"I was, she is my family through marriage; we are a match. She's doing a lot better now, she comes with her mom; but she's away at camp this week." Lisa murmured, they would know that, there were probably a lot of kids away at camp this week.

"What was the hardest part?" A woman asked from the side.

"Sometimes I feel like I am outside of things, or they think I am made of glass." There were still moments when things felt different, it still felt wrong to admit that. "I love Katie, I wanted to help her; but I didn't..."

"But you could." A young boy looked back at her, defiance in his eyes. "I had a donor, if it was somebody I knew, I would feel different about them. Sometimes even when people love you, they can't help. Sometimes donors give up."

The conversation took off about donors and Lisa listened, thinking about what the young boy had said. They circled back to her a few times, but she preferred listening, it had been hard last winter when Katie was so sick yet some of these families had been dealing with it so much longer; and with far more complications.

After a while the little girl next to her scooted over and started to talk about Katie, the girls were friends. She tried to listen to the conversation in the room and Sadie as the child chatted, jumping from not being able to go to camp and on to ponies. Things began to break up as people drifted away and Sadie said something quietly. Lisa didn't quite catch her question, at her frown the little girl repeated herself.

"Does a bone marrow test hurt a lot?" She glanced up, Dr. Siddal and the couple next to her were watching close; there was fear in the child's voice.

"No." She murmured, this answer was important; but she was surprised the little girl was asking her. "No, it didn't hurt."

But the child immediately spun to put her hands on the knees of the man she had been leaning on. "See, she didn't need it either."

"Sadie." The woman still sitting murmured quietly. "I'm sorry I am Anna, and my husband Mike."

"Lisa do you mind if I add a little more information?" Dr. Siddal shifted over a seat and she nodded. "Lisa was awake for her bone marrow aspiration, she had a local but Sadie's doctor can give her general anesthetic so she can sleep through the procedure."

"No. I can't." The young couple exchanged a look as Mike lifted the little girl into his lap. "I won't risk one daughter to help the other; I can't. What if it does hurt her?"

"Sadie's sister is in isolation, Callie needs a transplant and her sister may be a good candidate." Mike explained. "We understand that Callie needs the tests, we had to find out what was going on; but it is optional for Sadie."

"It has to be a hard situation." Lisa murmured. "I didn't find it hurt, it was worth it for the answers I wanted; I might be doing it again."

"Katie needs another transplant?"

"No, I want some more information about myself." She wasn't sure when she had decided that, but she did want to know. She wanted to know what was happening in her body, and what it meant.

"The aspiration is a quick test, a very small sample; the same as it was with Callie. The same as it has been and will be for Lisa; it can be done in the office." Dr. Siddal offered.

"Would it be incredibly rude if I asked to watch?" Anna asked. "I couldn't stay with Callie, she had a whole bunch of tests and we talk about it here but…."

Lisa stared at her, surprised by the request from a woman she had barely met and the child listening intently to the conversation. "I don't know when I'll have it done."

"I can do it in the office, it won't take long. But Lisa if you are comfortable, I have no objection to Anna observing." The doctor spoke quietly, she could feel the woman's eyes scanning her for a reaction.

She nodded, the test would be quick and simple; Dr. Siddal wasn't going to give her any surprise news today. She would have to wait for lab results, they agreed to meet Anna at the doctor's office and left the woman to handle her daughter who now wanted to watch too.

"Does that little girl have the same condition as Katie?" Lisa asked quietly.

"No, there are many juvenile auto immune diseases, and some will go their entire lives without meeting another person with their condition. But many of the challenges these families face are the same, and it helps for them to have people to talk to; it was good for them to hear your point of view today too. Some of these kids will get family members as donors and it is good to understand that the donor is affected after the procedure is done too; others will have to wait for the registry and hope a match can be found for them some day, but the process doesn't change." Dr. Siddal explained as they entered the hospital and stepped onto the elevator.

The doors closed with just the two of them on and began to head up. "If I want to donate blood you want it to go to some of those kids; are the levels in my system high enough to do anything?"

"Yes." Dr. Siddal responded quickly. "It is much easier to match blood than marrow, you are not likely to ever find another marrow match, but you meet people everyday who have the same blood type as you, even more who you may be a compatible match with. Some patients will go through many units of blood in a single week as we try to get healthy cells into their body, some have been told they will have to wait years to take the medications that may help them because they need every chance they have left to grow."

"It is the experimental drug that they need?" Lisa asked, it had to be hard for the doctors too, having options to help but weighing the risks. Not only were the kids strong enough but were the long-term consequences worth it.

"One of them, each condition is different, the main experimental you were taking was specific to a small subset of conditions where cells do not create the proper markers. The immune booster, the injection was also experimental, it in combination with the oral tablets which are already in use are what has created the pattern in your bloodwork. That is what can make the difference." They stepped off on the floor full of offices.

Lisa frowned for a moment but in the office the doctor set to work, taking vitals and prepping a table; she let her thoughts drift. If the side effects hadn't been so miserable last time, she would simply take the meds again for a few rounds; maybe if she didn't know just how bad it could be. But that would put everyone at home on edge, and things were settling down there.

"Lisa, if you don't want someone in here, I will explain that to Anna." Dr. Siddal spoke gently and Lisa shifted to meet the woman's eyes.

"That's not what I was thinking." Lisa murmured as she stretched out on the bench and then shifted her jeans down over her hips.

The doctor guided her onto her side, lay a drape over her hip, and then began to lay out her tools before letting Anna in and telling her where to stand. Lisa listened to the woman's instructions, it was the same as when they did the first test, a pinch for the local and pressure as the needle slid in.

The doctor checked that she was okay and then began to explain the process to Anna, adding details that the procedure would be a little different for the little girl. A few moments later it was done, Dr. Siddal pressed a bandage over the spot and gently guided her to lay on her belly; pulling the sheet over her hip.

"Let's give Lisa some privacy." Dr. Siddal turned the woman away.

"Thank you, I really mean that." Anna grabbed her hand. "I hope you will come next week with Lou and Katie."

"I hope there is something that can be done for Callie." She murmured, not making any promises about next week; she still wasn't sure it was what she needed.

As the doctor saw the woman out Lisa fixed her jeans, her hip was still numb, and she knew it would be stiff tomorrow. It was sort of nice to just have the one test, the last time she did this there had been a barrage to get through as they tried to establish what could be done.

"It will be a few days before I have any results for you." Dr. Siddal cautioned.

Lisa nodded, she could wait for the results, this one was for her and that made it much easier than the last time. There were no difficult decisions here, heading for Hudson she detoured to Fairfield to check in on a few things before going home.

Georgie was working in the arena lunging a two-year-old who needed a little extra attention. Lisa cut through to her office and checked for messages before scanning her calendar for the next few days; it was going to be busy leading up to her trip. She paused to read an email, which then turned into a few emails; she had few details yet to confirm. One of those was working in the arena right now, but she had to talk to Lou and Peter before discussing it with the teen; she had a strong suspicion of what Georgie's answer would be.

The girl's parents were another matter, and given they were both travelling for the next several days she sent a quick email outlining her plan. Georgie was a skilled rider and comfortable handling both horses her client wanted to look at, she could act as both a groom and exercise rider in France while also meeting a few clients and adding her name to another facet of Fairfield.

She wasn't sure what direction Georgie would choose in her career, the girl had time to figure that out, but building her reputation could start now. The kid had certainly put in the hours, both in the jumping ring and the training grounds; soon she might have her own horses to sell.

…

She was tired by the time she made it up to the house for supper, after work she had exercised Phoenix, taking him on a trail ride and over a few natural jumps. He loved to jump, and she could ride him for fun, they didn't have any goals or deadlines to meet; though he did expect a good rub down after.

Mostly that horse just wanted her attention, and Georgie knew she needed to give it to him, even when work was busy, she had to make time for him and remind herself he was her horse. Lisa was heading to France to sell two of the horses she was working with at the end of the month, it would be the best opportunity for them, but she was still going to miss them.

Phoenix, however, would still be here for her, eagerly waiting for her to grab his saddle. She had spent some time brushing him out before returning him to his field and heading for the house. Remi lay sprawled across the step and didn't flinch as Georgie stepped over her, the dog was enjoying the breeze as the day cooled off. She stepped through the screen door and toed off her boots and paused as she heard Jack's voice. "I hope you aren't thinking about putting yourself through any of that again."

He sounded irritated and worried, for a moment she thought he might be on the phone with her mom; except Lisa answered a moment later. "I'm not doing anything yet, but what I do is my decision."

"Lis, you don't have to."

"No, I don't." Lisa didn't sound happy either, but footsteps told her they were coming back to the kitchen.

Georgie stepped through quickly and started for the fridge, she didn't miss the tension in Lisa's face as she grabbed a pitcher of iced tea. But the woman didn't say anything else as the screen door swung open again and Lyndy came flying in; her parents followed behind.

The toddler made a beeline for Lisa and threw her little arms out. "Up!"

"Hey Georgie, I got the test results back." Ty crossed to lean on the back of a kitchen chair as Lisa scooped up Lyndy and took a bowl through to the dining room. "All three horses are healthy, everything checks out and given the timeline Dan gave me I think we will expect that foal sometime next March; but we will monitor that."

"So, I can buy them?" Georgie looked cautiously between Jack and Lisa, Lisa had already given her a price and told her she could go get a money order for that amount as soon as Ty gave the all clear.

"We will go and see Dan tomorrow." Lisa nodded.

"Awesome!" She was going to have three of her own horses to train.

"Remember this is a long-term investment, I know you are excited, but the goal is to get your money back in the long run." Jack warned, she knew he wasn't as thrilled with the plan, but she was excited to buy them herself.

Lisa had walked her through making a training plan for both mares and the foal. She knew it would be a long time before she was riding any of them, but the horses would need a lot of ground work to get used to being handled and to learn that they could trust her; and she had to learn about them.

The rest of the evening flew by, and as soon as breakfast was over the next day, she took the truck into town to the bank before meeting Lisa at Fairfield. The trailer was hitched, and Lisa drove over to Brookland, both operations were huge, but she thought Lisa's seemed a little busier. Fairfield had two clients coming this morning but Brookland was quiet when they got there, Lisa parked the rig and glanced at her. "He will try to drive you up on the price, that money order is all you've got. Understand?"

She nodded and slid from the truck, Lisa wasn't wrong; Dan wasted no time bringing up the costs he'd already had. He ignored the slip of paper the bank had given her and leaned on the fence, talking about the cost of delivering the foal and getting weight back on the mares.

"I'm going to have some expenses too, a foal to wean and another to deliver; it could be a year before any one of those horses is ready for sale. Plus, the costs of vets, supplements, and feed." Georgie argued, she didn't mention board because Lisa had already said the horses could stay at Fairfield; the stable was built for broodmares and foals.

"Georgie." Lisa's tone was sharp. "Let's go, I'll take you to an auction; you can rescue some horses from the meat truck for half the price."

"Hold on now." Dan seemed to stand up straighter, the man had to sense that Lisa was serious; she certainly sounded it. "You get horses at auction and you don't know their history, I can't give you much, but you know these guys are healthy and you see the potential in them; potential is worth something."

"They have potential but it's going to be a long time before its anything more than that." She shot back. "You set the price and I know you want them to go; I could go to auction and get some horses. Or I could give the money to Lisa as a down payment on a foal with potential, whose history I know; a horse with blood lines too. It would cost a lot more, but I could work it off right?"

Lisa nodded, Georgie swallowed quickly and tucked the money order into her jeans; she knew she had to keep going. "It would be expensive, but I would stand to make a lot more; and people already know Fairfield Thoroughbreds are winners."

It took a little more talking but an hour later they were back at Fairfield with all three horses settled into a small field; the trip had been a little stressful. The horses had balked at being separated and loading them had been a challenge; Lisa had backed right up to the gate when they got to Fairfield.

Georgie went to work, leaving the horses to settle in, but circled back whenever she could. The foal was curious about her, coming up to the fence to sniff at her hands before skittering back to its mother; sometimes crashing into the mare on legs dis-proportioned to his body.

"You did well with Dan, he had been doing that all his life and you kept him in line." Lisa joined her, she watched the woman's eyes scan the horses too.

"I know its going to be a long process, but I can do it. I am going to start handling them every day, they will have great ground manners by the time I can start working the mare under saddle." Georgie promised.

"Don't put too much pressure on them yet, or on yourself. They're fine here and you've got some time to figure out what you want to do with them, I think you are the one who keeps telling me to let the horse tell you what they want to do." She nodded, she might have said that a few times; but she saw Lisa's smile. "There is something I want you to think about though. I am heading to France soon, I've got a sale to make and I wouldn't mind some company. I've already spoken with your parents, they are okay with it. I'll want you to help with grooming and exercising the horses while we are there and if the client wants to observe their movements you would ride them at the meeting as well."

"How long?" It was an awesome opportunity, but she didn't want to be away from home for too long; Katie would be home by then.

"We would leave on a Wednesday and return on the Monday. It is a business trip, I've arranged for accommodations near the stable; we may have some time on the weekend to see a few sights if you want."

"The horses ship ahead of us, and we will meet them on the Thursday when we arrive, our main priority will be ensuring they are ready for the sale on Friday, the client wants to look at both before making a final decision." Lisa explained quickly and Georgie nodded eagerly.

"I want to go." It would be cool to see France but also to be able to meet the new owner of the horses she had been working with.

For the most part Lisa and a select few other team members met clients and handled the sales, but Lisa was offering to include her this time. It was exciting, but as she thought about it also kind of scary. Yet she was also an owner now, not just of her own horses but of horses she hoped to train and sell.

She knew that her horses wouldn't sell in the circles Lisa worked but Georgie had seen Lisa go to auction and buy a few horses because she liked the look of them. She loved jumping Diamond and working with the thoroughbreds, but she felt at home here; ducking under the rail to stand in the field with her horses. The colt came skittering up to sniff her over as the two mares grazed, ears swiveling to keep track of her path; Georgie didn't crowd them.

Over the next week she spent any time she could spare out in that pasture, handling the foal and gaining the mares trust. This weekend she was jumping Diamond at a competition and her whole family was driving up to watch. It was a speed event, that was where they excelled, but Georgie knew they were becoming the ones to beat.

She had spent her morning with the colt, she'd started calling Smudge and the mares Scarlett and Dancer before having her last practice with Diamond. Mike and Lisa watched them from the boards, the trainer called out advice as she practiced a tight angle that she'd encountered a few times now.

They cleared the jump and Georgie breathed a sigh of relief, one more competition with Diamond, but then she was helping Lisa with the sale; she was going to France. It was a job, and there was a lot of money on the line; Lisa's deal was worth a lot more than the one she'd made with Dan Hartfield.

...

Sorry for the long wait, I got distracted with school stuff. I am still writing, I will finish this.

Follow me on Instagram for short Jisa flashbacks and drabbles (with terrible edits- I suck at editing but its fun)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The next week was busy, Katie came home as Lisa and Georgie prepared for their trip. Katie was away today, Lou had taken her to the city to spend some time with a friend; they had said their goodbyes this morning.

Jack had finished loading Lisa's vehicle, but they'd run into a small problem. Lou had promised to leave Georgie's passport out, but she must have forgotten. Lisa was looking through the filing cabinet while Amy and Georgie checked Lou's desk.

"Mom knew I needed it, I've sent her a text…" Georgie worried out loud, he suspected that her nerves had something to do with her job on this trip.

"Call her." Jack told Georgie firmly, everyone wanted to text but if Lou was busy with Katie, she wouldn't look at her phone for a text.

"We will find it." Lisa soothed, his wife was used to travelling, she knew they still had some time.

He saw Amy freeze and he saw Lisa notice. His wife rose and shifted, he saw her frown as she stood behind Amy; reaching for the creased papers his granddaughter held. Jack frowned when his wife took them from Amy and then turned back towards the filing cabinet.

But a moment later Georgie found her passport and they were back on track. Jack went out to see them off, holding his wife tightly for a moment, this was one of her shorter trips, but he would still miss her. Without her and Georgie the house was going to seem empty, especially until Katie and Lou got home.

Wile they headed for the airport he put the empty house to use, there were always a few things that needed to be done. Jack took the time to replace a few boards in the porch, another winter and they'd be rotten through. Remi supervised from the safety of the steps as he worked, at least until he looked up as Lou's SUV rolled up the drive; the dog abandoned him.

But when two little girls jumped out of the vehicle Jack rose and watched as a dark pony tail bounced after a blonde one; heading for the barn. Lou glanced at him and winced, pulling a backpack from the passenger seat.

"Grandpa, we may have a guest for a little while." His granddaughter watched the kids disappear into the shade of the barn before looking back at him; her eyes were sad. "Sadie's sister had a serious setback, we thought a little vacation might be good for her; and let her parents focus. Knowing Georgie was safe out here with you really helped when I had to be in the city with Katie last winter."

"Its fine, maybe we can arrange a trail ride." Jack murmured, wrapping an arm around her and pulling his granddaughter into his side for a moment. "Lisa and Georgie got off alright, had a little bit of a hunt for her passport so you may need to put your desk back together."

"I forgot to set it out." Lou sighed. "They weren't late, were they?"

"No, they had lots of time; Lisa will call when they land. I'm sure Georgie will send you a text." He knew the plane would get in mid morning in their time, late at night in France, but he'd told Lisa to call once they got to their hotel. Jack didn't get to say anything more as the girls came flying up to the porch, full of plans and he set about getting two horses tacked up for them; getting Buddy ready too.

…

They were only a few hours into the flight when Georgie fell asleep, Lisa watched her for a few moments before reaching into her purse for the folded pagers Amy had pulled from Lou's desk while they hunted for the passport.

The pages were worn and creased, she hadn't looked at them since the first days of treatment; while she was trying to decide what to do. The doctor had given her the literature about the medications and procedures she would undergo, and with it was a lab printout; confirmation that she was a match. But then there were the pages that followed, copies of some of the information that the doctor had needed about her; some of it being very personal.

She'd stuffed these papers into her drawer with the medications they listed and forgotten about them; she wasn't sure how Lou had come to have them. Lisa sighed as she read through it again, some things had stuck in her mind, but others she hadn't given much thought. Eventually she tucked them back into her purse, she had enough on her mind without worrying about why Lou felt the need to take that.

Lisa knew better than to let herself sleep during the flight, and she woke Georgie after a couple hours; they would be arriving late at night. And even though it felt like nighttime for them right now it would be better to try to sleep when they arrived and get up for tomorrow; the day would be busy enough.

Once they landed it was straight to the hotel and to bed before heading out to the stable the next morning, Lisa had boarded horses here before; she'd had a few horses do well in the jump races at this venue. There were plenty of events around here, they were advertising an open call event for up and comers; Georgie had paused to read the sign.

The horses were both content and as she slipped into each stall to check them over Lisa had a feeling she knew which one would sell. The challenge would be the other horse, and she couldn't make any progress on that until this deal was done.

As Georgie led one of the horses out into the cross ties to start brushing Lisa checked her phone; she hoped to show the teenager a little bit of the city this afternoon. For a long time, France had been her escape, she had explored the country, sending her horses from track to track as she took in different cities. She'd made some good friends over the years and found her favorite places; there were a couple she thought Georgie might enjoy.

By the time the client arrived both horses were warmed up, and as she guessed it was good to have Georgie on hand to ride; easily putting both horses through their paces. Both horses were vetted, and she had the paperwork ready to go; it was a straightforward sale.

"I'm kind of sad to see her go." Georgie murmured as they put the other horse back in its stall. "I know its good, I mean that's why we came."

"Its hard, especially when you don't know the home the horse will have. I know she is going to have an amazing home, and the best training, but I know that through experience. In time you will know too, and it is never a bad thing to know who you are selling a horse to; there are some questions that need to be asked." Lisa smiled softly. "But we are done for today. We are going to get lunch and meet a friend of mine."

"Cool, do they have races like the one this weekend anywhere near us?" Georgie asked, eyeing the banner again.

"Not very often, there is steeple chase but its not the same as jumps racing." She should have known that would hold Georgie's attention. "The obstacles are mixed, a little bit of a cross between a speed round and a cross country course; only all the competitors run at the same time; just like in a flat race."

"That would be awesome!" Georgie sounded excited but Lisa didn't say anything else, it was a fun event to watch but it could be a dangerous one to participate in.

They walked through the winding streets to a small café close to the museum and the track. The museum recounted the history of horse racing in France and throughout Europe. Karina joined them for lunch, she made the introductions, not surprised when Georgie recognized her name; Karina rode in the highest levels of dressage.

Karina laughed as she answered Georgie's questions, occasionally glancing to Lisa as a word slipped her mind; Lisa smiled as she supplied the translation. But as they wandered into the museum the teenager's attention was redirected and she had some time to catch up with her friend; they had both been here before.

"I can't believe she is your granddaughter, I think of a little child, but she is a young woman." Karina laughed.

"My great granddaughter actually, but she is a young woman and she's tough." Lisa smiled, though she still kept track of where Georgie was ahead of them.

"And a good rider no? I've heard you've started show jumping."

Lisa nodded, the horse world wasn't that big, news had a way of travelling fast. It was a big step for Fairfield, but a natural one, and so far, it had been a profitable one; Georgie and Diamond had helped with that. They were hot, and had been cleaning up in competition this season, making it well worth the cost of shipping the horse in and out; contributing to a number of other sales.

"How long are you going to keep that jumper? Its not like you to hold onto a horse unless you've got plans for it; and I think that mare is already done with the track." Karina shot her a look and Lisa rolled her eyes; she'd already shot down several good offers for Diamond and there would likely be more.

"Mhm, I've got a plan for now, later we will see." Georgie was stepping into this business quickly, but Lisa suspected she needed a few constants. The teen was attached to Diamond, and if the situation was different she might have already accepted an offer on the horse; but for now it was good advertising.

As long as the pair kept winning, she would let them go, so far as Diamond learned, Georgie followed, and they remained well matched. Part of her hoped that if the time to sell came it would come from Georgie, the girl understood horses and she understood Diamond's potential.

She knew the teenager followed the highest levels of jumping, watching the competitions whenever they were on tv; Diamond was as good as any of the horses there. Lisa didn't hide the fact that people were interested in the horse and if the right offer came, she hoped Georgie might recognize the opportunity that it was. Otherwise she might end up shipping the pair off to some more international events within the next couple years, and a branch of the industry she wasn't as familiar with; generally, she just sold horses into that circle.

As they wandered into a new section of the museum, she swallowed a groan, this was all about jumps racing. Images of the best horses and some of the best tracks graced the walls and Georgie slowed down to read.

"I thought you were a fan." Karina murmured, glancing at her; Karina's partner was an owner and had a number of horses on top of the track. They had met through him years ago, he had two Fairfield horses on his team.

"Georgie already saw a sign for an event at the stable…"

"And you've got a horse left to sell." Her friend grinned. "You should enter her, Miguel is one of the sponsors for the event and I am sure we have some equipment she could borrow. The prize is good."

"It is dangerous." Lisa hissed as Georgie's head swiveled; she'd heard Karina.

"That would be amazing!" Georgie was in front of them. "Its kind of like a cross country course, and I've ridden over jumps as part of a group before; remember at the hunt?"

"I think it would be a good experience, she already jumps in timed events and I know you breed those horses to race." Karina winked at Georgie and Lisa shot her a glare; here Georgie was legally able to enter without parental consent. That being said, she had to take the girl home to parents who might not be thrilled with the idea; and she'd have to watch the event with her heart in her throat.

"Mom and Dad said I could jockey, I've been helping at the track at home."

"This is a little different." There were enough risks in flat races, adding jumps and a whole heat of amateur jockeys; the risks went up exponentially.

"She probably has more experience than half of the jockeys entered; and the event isn't until Saturday. She can get in a few practice runs tomorrow." Karina was enjoying this as Lisa tried to think of something else, but Georgie was not going to be interested in touring the city now; riding held a greater appeal. And Karina was right, the event would be full of apprentices who might have more experience around this event; but far less experience in competition themselves.

"You will call both of your parents and get permission." She ground out, unable to come up with anything else; Lou would probably shoot this down.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Jack hooked Monty's lead on to take the pony back to the pasture, Katie and her friend had spent the last hour playing with him. The pony had stood patiently but pulled eagerly towards his friends and the grass as the girls scrambled up the stairs to see Lyndy.

Closing the gate, he turned towards the house, Ty was in the loft with the girls, he wasn't sure how much paperwork the young man would get done. But Jack had a few lures he wanted to assemble, peace and quiet would help, he shut Remi out on the porch as well.

His wife had called early this morning, and he had heard Lou up not long after; Georgie must have called to ask her mother about the event Lisa was talking about. He had heard the concern in her voice, but Lou had told him this morning that Georgie would be riding in a race over there; Georgie had asked her to text Lisa to confirm she was good with it.

If he knew Georgie, she was excited about it, the teenager was fearless on horseback and had yet to meet a sport she didn't want to try. Jack had listened to his wife's concern and trusted her experience; there were risks. However, if Lisa didn't believe that Georgie was capable, she would have flattened it already; Georgie would be riding her horse.

In the middle of tying a lure his phone beeped and Jack paused, a message from Lisa popped up but it didn't open until he pressed on it a few times; then a photo of Georgie popped up. As he smiled at it, he heard a small cough and looked up to find Katie's friend hovering in the doorway.

"Are you talking to Lisa?" The little girl asked quietly.

"Yes." While his wife liked to text, he found it frustrating; a slight shadow of actually speaking with her.

"Do you miss her when she has to be away?" Sadie eased closer as he nodded; he knew what she wanted to do.

While she might be having fun with Katie, he suspected Sadie was fully aware that being here was meant to be a distraction. Jack tapped the bottom of the screen, taking him back to a photo of him and Lisa that Georgie had put on there somehow. "Its hard to be away from the people you love but hearing their voices can help. Do you know your mom's phone number?"

When Sadie nodded, he passed his phone over, she had been here a couple days now and he wasn't sure if Lou had her call home or not; but sometimes it just hit home. Watching Katie and Lyndy, hearing them talk about Katie's big sister; there were moments when that had to make her miss home and her own family. She may have only held the phone for a matter of seconds but quickly had someone on the line, her whole face lighting up; they had been there not so long ago.

…

Lisa's friend met them at the barn in the morning and Georgie changed into the equipment she brought. She already had the horse tacked up and warm, there were a few other riders out on the track already. Some were probably practicing for tomorrow and a few others looked like they were just doing some training in other areas of the facility.

Lisa led the horse as Georgie put on her helmet, it now had a deep purple cover on it that matched the jersey she wore over her impact vest. Lisa stopped the horse near the gate and held the reins as she mounted. "Speed isn't everything, just jump safely."

Georgie had spent some time working Running for Freedom, he was a good horse, but he still got hot; and he knew what racing was. She did the gate test with another rider three chutes down, Georgie pushed everything else back and focused on Free; he knew what the chute was, but she hoped he could adapt to the different type of track.

She had spent plenty of time jumping him and when the gate opened, he took off, but he was still listening, and she let out a breath; they could do this. Georgie held Free back, he knew what racing was, but she wanted him to understand the track though he strained as the other pair flew by.

Georgie saw the other team leap over the jump, the jockey lurched in the saddle; his timing slightly off over the jump. She focused on her own run, they didn't need to be fast today; they needed to find their rhythm.

As Free collected and surged up Georgie leaned onto his neck and gave him some rein as they approached the next. They came over clean again but suddenly things changed, the horse that had been ahead of them had turned back; the horse had refused the jump.

The jockey clung to the horse, trying to pull himself up and Georgie saw movement on the side of the track and pulled Free up hard; wheeling away to avoid the other horse's path. The scared animal spun away from the people who had hurried onto the track to help. She swallowed hard as she looked at the horse beneath her, racing was teamwork; Free was still listening to her.

Turning him quickly back, the other rider still hadn't righted himself and when Georgie urged Free alongside the other horse, he grabbed her leg. Stunned she glared at him, keeping Free close as she reached for the loose reins; asking Free to slow.

Suddenly someone held her reins, rested a hand on her ankle, another had the other horse's and the young man slid from its back. Georgie glanced down to see Lisa beside her, a firm grip on the bridle; others who had been standing at the side of the track were out now, looking to help.

"Its alright Georgie." Lisa murmured quietly, there was something hard in her eyes as she watched the other horse being led away. "Let's check Freedom over."

Georgie nodded quickly and swung her leg over to dismount and gently stroked Free's neck as they walked him off the track. In the cross ties Lisa bent to check the horse's legs, a frown still on her face; Georgie patted his shoulder and took a moment to steady herself.

Lisa nodded that Free seemed okay and led him out; she started forward. "No, take a few moments."

She went to get a drink of water and then found her way to an outdoor arena where Lisa had started to hand walk Free. Georgie went out to take the horse from her and started another loop to cool him out properly. When she looked up Lisa was gone, Georgie finished with Free and brushed him before putting him back in his stall.

"You can have another go on the track later today if you want." Lisa met her in the aisle.

"Is that a good idea if we are going to race tomorrow?" Georgie asked, noticing Lisa shake her head a little bit. "I want to race tomorrow. He was listening to me, he wanted to run but he listened."

…

Lisa could only sigh as she watched Georgie adjust the horses bridle again. The young girl had never even run the full course; but no one was going to talk her out of it. Lisa reached out and checked her impact vest before they walked out towards the gate.

"Listen to me." Lisa stopped her before they stepped out of the barn. "Stay out of the pack, I don't care where you are do not get trapped. I want you safe, I could care less about where you finish."

As Georgie mounted and joined the other riders heading for the gates, Lisa found a spot along the finish and took a pair of binoculars. It might drive her made but Lisa intended to watch every length that horse ran. From the moment the gates snapped open and the horses took off, to each jump and over.

Her heart pounded as Georgie kept up with the leaders, Freedom ran hard and, but Georgie knew when to steady him and when to let him go. She held her breath as they rounded the last turn; there were four horses ahead and one jump left.

She could finish fifth, so long as she finished, they overtook one before the jump and Georgie let Freedom go big as they came home. Others cheered as horses crossed the finish, Lisa could only manage a sigh of relief.

But as she tried to make her way to Georgie Lisa was waylaid; Freedom had attracted some attention in this race. It was a low offer and Lisa slipped away, declining politely as she tried to find Georgie. Sadly, she recognized the man who feel in step with her as she spotted Georgie.

"I've heard you're looking to sell that horse?" She had only met the man yesterday, but she had not been impressed by the introduction; Georgie could have been seriously hurt by his jockey's inexperience. She wasn't impressed with his reaction to the incident either.

She saw recognition in Georgie's eyes as they joined her, the teen had heard his question. "I've had offers. But my jockey just started working him."

"They make an impressive team, I'd make a fair offer." He muttered, she heard the annoyance in his voice; but he had recognized the finality in her tone.

"They do." Lisa kept moving, she had noticed someone else watching them; that was a direction she wouldn't mind seeing him go. "Cool him out Georgie."

Georgie was watching her closely as Lisa crossed towards her friends; Miguel stood with Karina, but his eyes still tracked Freedom. Karina reached out to give her a hug, and Lisa accepted with a smile. "They did so well."

"It was an impressive run, I heard about the accident yesterday." Miguel murmured, and Lisa nodded. "He has an impressive stride."

"He is willing to learn, and he likes to work." Lisa smiled.

It took a few moments but then they went to find Georgie and the horse; the paperwork would keep. She watched Georgie hand over the lead and nodded as the teenager looked to her; a slight smile crept over her face. There were times to refuse a sale, Georgie had a gut for that, she wanted what was best for the horses she sold; it was a good thing. They would have a chat later about it.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

She clicked back to the main screen and scrolled to another page; Lisa had sold the horse to her friend before they left France. But she still didn't like the other man that she knew had made an offer. Lisa had simply said the choice was always with the owner and the standards they kept.

Lisa had provided the name of the man she turned down and the name of his stable, it wasn't hard to find some articles; they weren't good. She read several them, learning that he had some connections to the North American racing industry as well; his stable was not well respected. One of his horses had died of overexertion at a track last year, she wondered how many had run until they were hurt and then sold cheap.

Suddenly she froze, reading a footnote a moment before clicking the link below the article; another horse had needed veterinary care after that race, but it had not made the headlines or the article. Georgie frowned and sat up, heading for the stairs; Jack and Lisa were downstairs.

Lisa was reading from her tablet while Jack read a book, she paused at the foot of the stairs; debating whether to say anything. But as she turned to go back upstairs Jack shifted and nudged the woman leaning into his side.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Lisa asked, setting her tablet down to look back at her.

"Did you know one of Dan's horses died after a race last winter?" She swallowed uneasily, waiting for Lisa's reaction; maybe she shouldn't have said anything. "Another horse died, it belonged to the man who made an offer on Dubs."

Lisa held out her hand and took the tablet, she was silent for a moment as she read through the article, Jack leaned closer as she sighed. "Europe, he isn't named."

"People don't always make the right choices, especially when money is involved." Jack muttered, shifting the tablet and squinting as he read the screen.

"You followed your gut, and that is a good thing; especially in this business." Lisa looked up at her, and Georgie tried not to fidget; neither of them seemed surprised by this news. "But, no matter how much you want to you can't control what others do."

Her mind was with the horses she currently owned, and the one that was on the way; they were one type of rescue but in the racing industry there was another. The horses she had bought from Dan were a long term investment, it would be a year or more before all of them had new homes, but young horses coming off the track could have recovery and retraining times from a matter of weeks to a few months; it was the ones who were retrained who had the best chances of finding a forever home. There were lots of owners who loved their horses and wanted what was best for them, but there were others who didn't; and in a career they could leave hundreds of young horses behind them.

There were programs like Fairfield's all over to retrain racehorses, but they were dependent upon how much money the owners were willing to invest; and how much they had. She reached into her desk drawer and eyed the paycheck Lisa had handed her when they got home; it would be enough to put with her savings for this year's tuition. That was what her parents would want her to do with it, Jack and Lisa too; but it could do something else.

…

"It makes sense." His wife sighed, pacing their bedroom; he knew she was running over it in her head. "That's why he's back here, and enough people have heard of it that he's losing clients."

Lisa had spent the year close to home, and she had done a lot of work to rebrand Fairfield; she hadn't been tracking the events in Europe. The fact that Dan's horse had died after the race, and off site had probably made it easier to keep it out of the news. And the man had come back to Alberta to focus on the racing industry here, but the racing community was only so big.

He knew Georgie would be bothered by it, and that the ties between Brookland's bloodlines and Lisa's own would bother Lisa; the two businesses had been tied together not so long ago. Still, she took good care of her horses and he knew she was working to take Fairfield in a new direction; staying current in racing as she broadened her brand.

And they had been busy this year, their family had gone through a lot, but much of it had fallen onto her shoulders. Jack stopped one of her trips across the room, she was tidying their room rather than settling for bed; he rose to stand behind her. Rubbing her shoulders before slipping the robe from her shoulders. "You are not responsible for Dan's actions; you cannot control what he does at Brookland."

"I know." She sighed, her hand coming up to cover his, leaning back a little; Jack just held her for a few moments.

But knowing what she had been reading earlier tonight he had to remind himself of his own words and he held her a little tighter. That she'd come home to find they had a guest brought the notion of going back into the experimental program up again; if she'd ever put it aside.

Having Sadie with them ensured he couldn't, none of them were ever going to forget what Katie went through; but they were far from the only family put in such a situation. Jack didn't want to see her go through that process again, and yet Katie was only one little girl; the research Lisa's participation might aide could help for many more.

It had to be her choice, given what she'd been reading and how he knew her; Jack knew he had to be the support she needed. And the little stressers that could complicate her life needed to be minimized; he'd done a bit of his own research.

The following morning, he woke well before she did, and for a moment he watched her sleep, tracing her cheek to brush back a wisp of blond hair; he was glad to have her home. Jack was the first out to the barn and began doing chores, first Georgie joined him and then Amy.

By the time they made it back to the house the kitchen table had been overtaken by a craft project and two little girls. With a smile Lisa passed him a cup of coffee, gesturing to a plate she'd set aside on the counter. "We need to go in a few minutes Georgie."

"Yeah, I'll be right back." The teenager kicked off her boots before heading to the stairs.

…

Jack was content in the chaos of the house, but even after being away Lisa enjoyed the peace and quiet of her office. There were emails and voicemails she hadn't dealt with yet, along with notes left from her employees, but as soon as they got to the barn Georgie had taken off and she sat down to work, plowing through a mountain of paperwork before lunch.

There were horses coming home, and others racing this week; as well as several mares coming in for live cover. Lisa opened her schedule to verify dates, coordinating them with Georgie's next competition; they would be in BC for at least two days. But if Georgie won there, they had to make a few decisions.

Georgie was an excellent jumper, and whether she realized it or not she was building the reputation for thoroughbreds, and thoroughbred crosses in ring along with her own. Sometimes it didn't take fame to have an influence, she was jumping on a level where young riders were looking up to her, taking note of how she trained and the horses she rode. The bone structure and temperament of the breed still had many believing the sturdier warmbloods were better options.

However, Georgie had cleaned up this season and though she was green Diamond had been eager to please; driving the mare's value up exponentially. Coming off the track with few wins and little desire to run she wouldn't have commanded half the price of what Lisa had already been offered for her as a proven jumper.

"Trailers here." A knock on the office door accompanied the warning and Lisa rose, shifting papers to find the breeding contract.

The mare being dropped off would be here for a few days and bred before being sent home; the foal's sire was one of her top stallions. Lisa made small talk with the man as the horse was unloaded and led to a quiet stall near the back of the barn; they would let her settle before trying to do anything with her.

"Will you be heading out to the event in Langley?" He asked as they walked up towards the truck; she knew he'd be there.

"Yes, we will be there." Lisa smiled, knowing several of his horses had qualified as well.

"Will you be considering my offer on that mare?" He had booked Diamond's sire for his mare, earlier this season he had made an offer on Diamond and she'd let him down easy; knowing Georgie wouldn't want to sell.

"I'll keep you in mind." Lisa told him, it was a fine balance between leading him on and shutting down a good sale; he was certainly interested. As she heard the clop of hooves, she turned to find Georgie leading Diamond back; and hid her wince.

Seeing him off she returned to the office and filed the contract, then she went out to find the teen. Diamond had been brushed and put away, so she headed to the pasture where Georgie's horses grazed; the teen was gently petting one of the mares. She leaned on the fence and watched for a moment; the girl was certainly making progress with them.

Skittish and flighty when they had arrived not so long ago, now both mares could be led with little fuss. Both showed signs of being handled before, they knew how to behave but expected rough treatment; with kindness they were beginning to trust their new owner. And Georgie was patient with them, she'd spent hours just sitting in the field with them, letting the foal sniff her curiously.

"He made an offer on Diamond." Georgie called, noticing that she was back there.

"He has…"

"Was it a good one?" Georgie interrupted, turning away from the horse and moving towards her; Lisa only nodded. "Then you should take it."

"Where is this coming from?" Lisa frowned, a few months ago the teenager had been upset by the idea of her selling the mare. And keeping her had been a sound investment, the prize money had been good as had the exposure.

"She deserves to do what she is good at and go as far as she can; Diamond loves jumping, and you saw that racing wasn't right for her." Georgie murmured. "But she is valuable enough to get a good home as a jumper now, maybe you have other horses coming home who aren't?"

"I'm sure we can find one." Lisa said quietly, a little surprised at the reasoning and practicality behind that explanation. "But are you sure that is what you want?"

"Yes. I know this is a racing barn, and I want to learn about the track; but I love jumping." Georgie told her, reaching her fingers towards the foal who approached cautiously. "And not every horse here is going to be a trotter, I want to train, and I can help the ones who aren't make a name; but not if I'm riding the same horse."

"Well, let's finish out the event you've got coming up and I'll look at a few offers." Lisa swallowed hard as she nodded her head, she suspected she knew what had gotten Georgie thinking that way.

She left the teenager in the field and returned to her office, Georgie was finding her own reasons to get into the business; and her own way of doing it. None of that was bad, especially not as her program drew closer, but it was interesting to watch it happen.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Lisa was quiet and at dinner he saw her eyes sliding over Katie and Sadie, the two girls were thick as thieves, but he knew it wasn't their antics that she was thinking about. Though she said nothing Jack knew he needed to, it wasn't like her to be watching rather than making a decision; and a plan.

Jack looked down at his own plate, they had argued about the opportunity she was considering before she went to France. He did not like the idea of her putting her body through the ringer again, he'd said as much. And though she had been reading about various research projects she had not said anything to him; but he didn't think it was because struggling with the decision.

After dinner Lisa scooped Lyndy onto her hip, Ty and Amy were slipping out for a drive together. Given Lou was busy with two little girls, and Georgie taking off upstairs Jack took his wife's hand; they would take a walk. The toddler, with a full belly snuggled into her shoulder and fell asleep, Jack kept his strides short, so she did not have to hurry.

"Sadie is doing well." Lisa murmured, easily rubbing Lyndy's back as they wandered along. "Is there any news of her sister?"

"Not much, they call every night and the girls talk every few days." Jack murmured, the little girl had dealt with a few bouts of home sickness; but he'd talked to the young couple and knew they were hurting for both their daughters. They felt better having Sadie out here, so they did their best to make the girl feel at home.

It had been hard on Georgie when her little sister was in isolation in another city, but Georgie was older, and she'd found her own ways of coping. One of those had been helping Lisa, knowing that by doing that she could help her sister.

"Have you called Dr. Siddal?" He asked quietly.

"No. I haven't." There was a defensiveness in her voice that had him giving her a hard glance; he wasn't trying to taunt her.

"If you want to do it, you should get started Lis." Jack told her, rubbing a hand along her side. "If you want to do it, I'm with you. I'm always in your corner."

"Are you sure?" Lisa asked, reaching out to stop him with her free arm.

"As long as you are." She would do none of it alone, he pulled her into his side; holding her tight for a moment, cautious of the toddler sleeping in her arms.

They roamed back to the house as she told him about her day and settled on the porch, watching the sunset and waiting for their grandchildren to get home to put the little one to bed. Lisa had been more than a little surprised by Georgie's decision about Diamond; already beginning to consider the next horse to pair the teen with. And after Amy carefully extricated a sleeping Lyndy, Lisa leaned into his side; watching night fall around them.

He was always proud of her, but this was different; and it wasn't easy. However, by noon the next day she sent him a text telling him that she had an appointment; the doctor did not waste any time. He and Lisa would head to the city before the BC event next week.

…

Lisa and Jack were driving out to the competition; doing it over two days each way. She was flying and her dad was going to meet her at the airport. But it was going to be her last run with Diamond and Georgie couldn't deny being nervous, she was going to miss the mare even if this was for the best. And she hoped Lisa would hear her out, Georgie had a plan for her cut of the sale. She would compete with another one of Lisa's horses, keeping Fairfield on the mind of anyone looking for a new jumper; but she wanted to do a little more.

Wyatt drove her to the airport, teasing her about the fact she was always leaving him behind even as he promised to be there to pick her up on Sunday night. Flying was easy, especially as she hadn't checked a bag; Jack had thrown it in the back of the truck. Her dad was waiting beyond the gate, and Georgie smiled as he waved; it wasn't hard to spot him.

"Hey sweetie. How was your flight?" He asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder; he'd returned to work after Katie got home from camp. "How was France?"

"Good." She smiled, following him out to the cab and telling him about France and the race.

It had been a really good experience, the race and the bids; there was a lot to running a sales barn that she didn't always get to see. While Lisa often let her ride for clients, and sometimes she saw the paperwork she didn't usually see the offers or clients Lisa turned down. And it was a die of it that she needed to.

"Yeah, and school is going to be starting soon." His enthusiasm made her roll her eyes, she was the one who should be excited about that.

"I'm ready, I've done the preparation stuff; Lisa already did the paperwork for my placement." Her first semester was a mix of online classes and placement; she was going to the school next semester for one of her horsemanship classes. And Lisa was letting her do more at the barn all the time. He was fully updated by the time they got to the hotel and Jack's truck was parked in the lot. While he went to the room Georgie went to get her bag. When she knocked Jack opened the door but motioned her into the room; and then excused himself for a walk.

She saw Lisa's gaze follow him for a moment before focusing on her. "Sit down sweetie."

"Is something wrong?" Georgie sat on the end of the bed a little nervous; had something happened to Diamond in shipping?

"No, but I have an offer I will accept if you are sure about selling Diamond." Lisa offered her a sheet of paper. "Once I accept an offer I'm not going to back out."

"I'm sure." Georgie murmured, swallowing hard; it was hard to be asked that question over and over.

"Okay, then you can take a look at the horses I've got coming back from the track. We'll take some time off and when you're ready we'll get back on the circuit." Lisa smiled; she was happy to be making the sale Georgie thought. "Once the payment goes through, I'll cut your check; you've done a really good job…"

"Could you keep that instead? It will cover a few months board, right?" She asked uneasily, it sounded good in her head; but now she needed to put it into action.

"Georgie, I'm not going to charge you board, we'll get a nursing stall for your mare when she's ready." Lisa frowned.

"Its not for Dancer." She admitted. "I want to buy a racehorse, one who needs a different career, but has owners who won't put the money in. Rehabilitate it if necessary, train and sell it."

Lisa nodded, but was quiet for a long moment and Georgie winced, she knew it wasn't usually what they did at Fairfield; at least Lisa didn't buy horses for that purpose. But she was already doing the same thing with some of Lisa's horses, she had been most of the year; and she could do this. She had done her research and made a plan, the turn around would be a month or two tops per horse, and lots of thoroughbreds went cheap at auctions once they were a few years old or weren't winning.

"One stall, one horse?" Lisa repeated, a sharpness entering her eyes.

"It will be a much shorter turn around than with Dancer and Scarlett, I'll aim for about a month and I won't compete on them; I'll compete on one of your horses." Georgie promised quickly, it was Lisa's stable if she said no this wasn't going to happen; and there wasn't the space at Heartland with Amy's business.

"I'm not going to charge you board, but I am only giving you one stall; and whatever is needed for the horses you already have. I will pay you as normal and you will put that money in your pocket for the expenses that will come up, as well as school. When you make a sale, you can cut me in to offset my costs; we'll say ten percent." Lisa told her, pausing for a moment before continuing. "I'll cover board including feed, and the facilities as long as this doesn't interfere with either your work for me or your studies. You will take proper precautions with every horse you buy, pay to have them vetted, build a realistic training plan; and I want to help you draw up at least your first few contracts. Is that a deal?"

"Okay." She nodded eagerly, and even though Lisa was talking business she reached out to hug her. That would make it a lot easier to get started.

…

Georgie had practically been bouncing when she left the hotel room, Jack was not so thrilled; though he listened to the teenager lay out her plan at dinner. Lisa only squeezed his knee, the conversation would keep until they got back to their room; Jack didn't like the idea of Georgie risking even more money on horses.

"She's starting to accumulate a few too many." He murmured later as he came out of the washroom; settling for bed. "That's why she is okay with selling Diamond now."

"We knew going in the mares were going to be a long-term project and she won't have too much trouble getting her money out of them." Lisa cautioned.

"You're operating at a loss where she's concerned." He sighed, and Lisa turned to him, he wasn't wrong; but she was weighing that price against the investment.

"She's making me money off Diamond and she's turning into a good trainer; in the long run it will pay off." Stepping close to him Lisa lay her hands on his shoulders. "If there is anybody worth taking a gamble on its her."

"Georgie loves a challenge." Jack admitted as she rubbed his shoulders, his hands had found their way to her hips. He was still stiff after the long drive out here, he carried it all in his shoulders and back; but he was relaxing as she worked.

"Her niche in this business was never going to be the money in high end horses; she's got too much heart for that. But it might be this, and if she can invest herself enough to see both sides, training race horses properly and diversifying the breed's reputation she could do very well; there are a lot of people in and out of the racing industry who will like her vision." It was going to be expensive at the outset, but every venture was.

And Georgie wasn't going to go at it alone, she would enforce the single stall rule, but she would expect it to take a few runs before the teenager had her process down; if she sold three horses in her first year she'd be doing well. The girl would have lots of resources around her to learn from, and Fairfield's reputation to lean upon; she could think of a few clients who might be looking for a cheaper option than what Fairfield usually offered.

"And in five years, whose vision is going to be driving Fairfield?" Jack asked slyly, he'd been quiet for a moment and she gave his shoulder a hard squeeze; he wasn't as worried as he'd make out to be.

"We'll just have to see." She stepped away from him and opened the small kit the doctor had given her the day before; taking out one of the syringes. "I don't think I'd hear too many complaints if I started to take a few steps back."

He gave her a look as he took the syringe and waited as she wiped the spot on her hip, she knew he would be annoyed that this was an easy routine for them to fall back into. But it was, and she kissed his cheek before stepping away, it wasn't going to be so bad this time. Dr. Siddal had clearly explained the differences, it was different combination of medications and the interaction risks were lower; the dietary restrictions were easier too.

And as gruff as he tried to be, she knew exactly what had softened his stance on the matter; he knew there were kids suffering far more than Katie had. She had been fine before and she would get used to it again, the regimen was not as difficult; besides he'd sat beside her as the potential benefits were outlined. They couldn't undo what Katie had gone through, and they couldn't change what other kids were going through now, they knew their family was lucky; and they could pay it forward.

The next morning, they were up early, she gave Georgie a once over before the show; she'd had a new jacket embroidered for her, this one in Fairfield green. And it looked sharp on her, Lisa noticed that a few people were identifying the teen now. They were out of the local competitions and the riders here either had money behind them or rode for an owner, and they were all looking to ride the fastest horses, one rider was not subtle about coming over to introduce himself; she brushed him off politely.

The event went well, Georgie made the jump off, but she drew first and though the pair flew around the course they spend several tense rounds waiting to see if it would be enough. That the potential buyer joined them just before the last run started made Lisa a little uneasy; they were hoping to hold onto first.

"I can't believe you're finally selling her. You've held on all season." The man commented, it was Briar Ridge's rider heading for the double oxer.

"You're selling Diamond?" An annoyingly familiar voice came from somewhere behind her. "Why didn't I hear? We're practically neighbors."

"I had offers in; I wasn't shopping for more." Val had been around more this past year; her son was not doing a very good job of running her jumping operation and the woman was taking more of a hands-on role. And she knew Val hadn't been thrilled to see Fairfield working its way into her territory; that Georgie was doing such a good job had to burn just a little.

"I'll t…" Val started, but broke off on a sigh, mumbling under her breath as the horse's front hoof clipped the front rail; it wobbled and then fell.

Her husband's hand closed tightly around hers, Georgie's time had held, and the pair got to end their journey on a high note. Thankfully Val disappeared, probably to berate the poor rider, and Lisa turned her attention to closing the deal; taking some extra time with the paperwork so Georgie could brush Diamond down one more time.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

A month passed and Jack sighed as he yet again started his day by sticking a needle into his wife's hip, Lisa had been fine so far; other than a run in with Lou early on. He'd chimed in on that one, it was a sticky situation that came down to a matter of opinions. Lou didn't want Lisa taking unnecessary risks because she was a match to Katie and Lisa argued that the only reason she did this was Katie; but it came down to Lisa's choice.

And Lou knew they were at a stalemate, Lisa wasn't backing down and he wasn't going to have the two of them going around over this; especially given how excited Katie was when they explained it to her. Though he suspected Katie took a very different view than Lou did, her mother spoke out of concern while the little girl felt healthy and now had friends who did not. Since camp they heard more of kids that she had met, and Sadie had returned home in time for the start of the new school year.

Lisa was used to the routine, and as he dropped the syringe into the sharp's container in her top drawer, she continued getting ready. "You should come by the stable today; Georgie is doing really well with the gelding she picked up; she's got her first client coming to see him today."

"Already?" He frowned; she'd only had the horse a few weeks. But Lisa had more or less given her free use of Fairfield's truck, between work and school the girl was always at the stable; determined to make it work.

"Mhm, it wasn't a hard transition, and I've done business with him before; he wants a horse for his daughter to do amateur endurance events on. Georgie's got the horse used to small jumps and worked on building stamina; he's got speed when he wants to." Lisa said as she twisted her hair up into a knot, frowned and let it down again; time in the bathroom was becoming prized with so many women in the house. "She'll turn a tidy little profit and Sam will be in a good mood; I've got a frozen dose from the stud he was wanting; he's shipping to a mare in Australia."

"I need to check fences, but I'll try to get over there." He winced, knowing Lisa would have the man coming in the morning; she had to be in the city this afternoon to see Dr. Siddal.

…

Georgie trotted the horse around the ring, trying to call over to Sam Farwel who watched from the fence, the man dipped his head and smiled patiently as her voice was drowned out by the breeze. Lisa winced and shifted on the rail, she saw the teen's look of frustration, knowing she wasn't being heard. It was next to impossible to ride and sell a horse, and just keeping the client engaged with the animal could be a big part of it.

"He handles well, he's got the stamina for what you want and while he doesn't want to race, he does know how to run when it counts." Lisa shifted easily into sales mode, Georgie didn't need to lose the sale because she'd made a misjudgment; and with certain clients the smallest mistake could derail it.

"I see that, and I've seen his papers; he's got decent bloodlines. Now if he was one of yours…" The man hinted and Lisa shook her head.

"He comes from good stock and you're not buying a stud. He'll get your daughter to the finish line and give her some years in the amateurs; he hasn't offered to buck or bolt. You aren't trading speed for safety." She reiterated, Georgie had tried to make the points from the horse's back; but they should have used the indoor arena; or asked someone to ride while she sold.

However, as the teenager dismounted and approached, she thought the girl knew that and tipped her chin to her; now was not the time to doubt herself. Georgie could close this, he liked the horse well enough and he wasn't looking to spend too much on this horse given he was trying to expand his business in Australia just now; the deal could still be made.

"He's really good, and I've had him out in the woods and taken him over bridges and steep ground; all the things you might find on an endurance course." The teenager explained, her voice wavering just a little.

But Sam approached, patting the horse's neck and leaning down to rub his legs; his vet had already been out. "Seems like a good horse, decent feet."

The horse stood calmly as they talked, Georgie had a few little bumbles and it was far from a smooth exchange; but in the end she had a check in hand and a horse loaded in a trailer. Lisa waved as the rig pulled out, and then put an arm around the girl; hearing her sigh.

"It wasn't so bad." She turned her towards the office.

"You had to do most of it." Georgie unfolded the check and looked at it for a moment. "I thought he would be able to hear me."

"You need to be on the fence, its your horse and you need to know everything about him; everything a client might ask." They'd talked about it ahead of time, but the girl had a plan; and now she knew she had to adjust it. Now I need to go and so do you; don't keep a cheque like that laying around."

The teenager nodded and as she gathered her purse, she heard the distinctive rumble of Jack's old truck and glanced out as he parked; good. He could take Georgie for lunch and let her talk it out, it hadn't been perfect but he'd be glad to see she'd made the sale.

And she knew Georgie would keep track of the horse, she'd done a bit of research before agreeing to the sale. But it was good, she was figuring out her own rhythm and standards; and she'd found an easy horse to start with.

Lisa went out to see her husband for a moment before taking off and getting on the highway. She had to donate blood today, but she was also to see Dr. Siddal, the doctor wanted to review her meds on a regular basis. This regimen was much easier to take than the one last winter, but the doctor was cautious and thorough.

She saw the nurse first and was hooked up, watching the bag begin to fill; it bothered her less now than it had last winter. And she still considered the benefits to outweigh the risks, especially as she watched Katie thrive; there were moments when the memories of a sick little girl seemed like a bad memory. But it only took walking through the halls to get up here to remind her that some families would never get to see their side of it.

"Good afternoon Lisa." The doctor breezed in, pulling a chair over next to her. "How long has that been going?"

"A few minutes." She murmured, unconcerned as the woman leaned over to look at the bag and then at her arm.

A moment later Dr. Siddal began with the questions they danced around each time, and she dodged them today as well. Lisa knew the woman meant well, and that this was a part of her job; but her opinion on that matter hadn't changed. She was fine, the side effects were manageable, and she'd made the decision; she was sticking with it.

They reviewed her chart, and her medications for the upcoming month; the first month had taken a little adjusting. But her dosages would be stabilized now, that would make Jack happy; nothing needed to change. And when the bag filled the nurse came back to disconnect it.

"Have you given any thought to coming back to group?" The doctor asked as she pressed a band aid over the site.

"No, I don't think so." Lisa smiled tightly, not with Lou and Katie still going; Lou was having a hard time adjusting to the idea of her being back on the experimental medications.

"Would you want to meet the patients and families receiving your blood?" Dr. Siddal asked. "Lisa based on your dosage, each unit of blood you donate is processed and may help three or four patients. Families have questions and we are in a unique situation. We will protect your privacy, just as we will all patients, however, there are challenges as most families attend group and child…"

"Katie." Lisa smiled to herself, she and Jack had sat the girl down to explain it to her; it was a topic that came up regularly in their home.

"I don't think she meant to say anything; and while we would not confirm anything it is a small community." The doctor winced.

"She wouldn't realize; it is something we talk about." Lisa dismissed it, she had signed many releases to participate in this program and had regular bloodwork done; she didn't know how many people already knew. "If families want to know who I am that is fine, but I don't plan to attend group; I don't know that I want to be involved."

"I understand, I will get you to adjust a consent form to your wishes and pass it along." Dr. Siddal agreed.

Lisa nodded and gathered her bag to go and got ready to go home. It felt good to be able to leave this in the city, she knew that it mattered but at home few outside her family were aware. She got home to find Georgie and Katie riding in the Northern pasture, Katie on her pony while Georgie rode Phoenix. The kids picked up their pace, Lisa slowed her car to let them keep up with it; the fence keeping them from getting too close.

Katie's grin was infectious, she and Georgie stayed slow to let her beat them both into the yard; listening as the girl declared herself the winner. She wasn't into horses the way most members of this family were, she had other interests; but the girls liked riding together.

Jack was in the yard and took Katie's reins as the girl dismounted, for a moment she just stood back and watched her family. She could see the shadows of Ty and Amy moving around up in their loft, and watching her husband help their great grand daughters with their horses before going in to help Lou with supper.

But after a chaotic meal with the kids talking about their day, while Lou helped with homework and Georgie retreated to the privacy of her room, she joined her husband on the porch. It was their time to be together and have some quiet.

"You know as hard as it can be being so close at times, it was a lot harder when Lou and Katie were in the city last winter." She murmured, leaning into his side. "I know a lot of families have to deal with that; but look at Katie and Georgie. They love spending time together."

"Sometimes I look at you and the girls." Jack smiled at her, ignoring her sigh. "It might have been nice if the girls got to go to camp, Katie made a lot of connections at camp but its been hard for them to spend time as a family."


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue

She squeezed her husband's hand, the dude ranch looked beautiful decked out for autumn and set up for a barbecue. It was late in the year, but the weather was holding, and her family was excited to have a get together. Her birthday fell close to the holiday and so it was usually quieter; she had been planning to take a weekend away with her husband.

But Jack had put this together with Lou and the girls, Peter was manning a grill among their neighbors and friends. Amy and Ty stood with some neighbors while Lyndy was cuddled onto Cass' hip a little way away. She couldn't pick out Lou or the girls, but they would be around here somewhere; kids raced between tables. Sadie scrambled past them, trying to avoid Brock, the kids had a game of their own going as they dodged between people and up around the cabins.

Earlier this year their family had celebrated one year since Katie came home from the hospital. This summer the girl had returned to camp with friends from group and there had been many sleepovers out at the ranch with Sadie; her sister was stable but still undergoing treatment.

Jack slipped over to get them drinks and they found a spot to sit, a rancher from up the road joining them to talk cattle prices. She caught her husband's eyes for a moment and shifted to make conversation with a friend at another table as others found their seats with drinks; Peter was just starting to put burgers on the grill.

"Lis." Jack nudged her a moment later, and she shifted back; following his gaze to see Lou trying to get everyone's attention.

A moment later a shrill whistle had everyone turning to look, Georgie stood next to her mother and grabbed the attention of the gathering; Lou nodded to her daughter. "Thank you, everyone we are thankful you have joined us this afternoon to celebrate Lisa. She's been a part of our family for a long time, choosing to step up and take us, along with Grandpa as a package deal. But we are missing a few guests."

There were a few titters of laughter and she took her husband's hand; there had certainly been days. Lou had never fully come to terms with her choice to remain in the experimental program, but Katie had told her why Lou had stopped talking about it; the group they attended served a large community. Dr. Siddal had given her a few cards and notes but Lisa kept to herself and let the support group be Lou and Katie's safe place; and she knew they heard a little of it as families talked about their own journeys.

"Many of you know the challenges we faced when Katie got sick; that Lisa became her donor. Katie is home with us now and healthy, but she didn't stop. An experimental treatment program saved Katie's life, Lisa has spent all of last fall and winter in a similar program." Lisa shifted a little uneasily as Lou lay a hand on her daughter's shoulder before the girls jumped off the porch of the cabin; each going to the door of another. "There is a supportive community of families who encourage and listen to each other as we walk this road, and Lisa has become a part of that road for many; families we've never met. She's stepped us for us, and she's stepped up for many other families, and this journey has tied us all together. So, Lisa, as your family we thought it was time you got to meet some of them."

The yard was silent as the girls opened the doors to each of the cabin and people stepped out onto the balcony; Dr. Siddal was first. Jack's hand closed tight around hers as they watched people join them, Lisa stood as Dr. Siddal approached her; indicating to the others who she was. She gave the doctor a quick hug and reassured her that this was okay; she knew how Lou had done this.

And as she met their guests Peter announced that food was ready, as people milled, going to the table for more drinks and salads or the grill; Jack's hand stayed on her shoulder. Names and hugs, it was impossible to say no here, it became a little overwhelming. For her it had always been simple, at the hospital she saw a nurse and her doctor, but these families needed more.

Finally as most people got their food and settled it was Lou and the girls who approached her; Jack slipped away to get their own food as Katie wrapped thin arms around her waist. Lisa rubbed the girl's back as she reached out an arm to Georgie who hung back a little; trying to watch for her reaction.

"Thank you, guys this is lovely." She murmured. "It is a wonderful gift."

"This isn't your gift." Katie told her eagerly, looking back to her mother.

"We weren't sure what to get you, but Grandpa gave me a hint or two." Lou said as Lisa fingered the delicate necklace Jack had surprised her with on the actual day earlier this week; it had their grandchildren and great grandchildren's birthstones in it. "From now on the Dude Ranch is going to offer a special every summer for families in the hospital's program. Offering them a special and affordable opportunity to spend time together and share some of the experiences the kids might have at camp with their loved ones. Katie and Georgie are helping me design some special ones for next year."

"That is wonderful." She whispered, holding both girls for a moment before reaching out for their mother.

Their journey was not over, and they didn't know what the future would hold; but they would face it as a family. She knew Lou was becoming more involved in raising awareness about juvenile autoimmune disorders and it was an honor that addition of it to the dude ranch was in her name. They were each a part of this community in their own ways; and the reason for it still wrapped her in a hug.

 **End**

A/N: Sorry for the long delay in finishing this.


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